Utility for converting itunes library files to regular mp3?

Advent

Hello all,

I went and searched the history, all I could find was a post from someone who answered their own question.

Can anyone recommend a utility for converting the itunes library files over to a regular mp3 format?

I ended up getting a 4g samsung critter as a gift, and would like to put the items I've downloaded off itunes on it.

Thanks in advance.

Gafoto

What system are you using?

I know that in OS X iTunes doesn't actually store your music in a library file, it keeps the songs in a giant folder called iTunes music and just uses the library file as an organizer. Make sure to check the size of the library file, is it large enough to be your entire music library?

Advent

It's windows xp, and yes, it stores it in an itunes folder, but renames the files to mp4 or some other such foderol.

Lewisham

Advent wrote: »

It's windows xp, and yes, it stores it in an itunes folder, but renames the files to mp4 or some other such foderol.

I'm assuming you mean you downloaded songs from the iTunes Music Store, in which case you're SOL, unless you bought the iTunes Plus versions of the songs.

Those files are encrypted, and will only play in iTunes and iPods.

Advent

It's true they're encrypted. I also know there are utilities to covert them into other formats.

I was and still am asking for a recommendation for a utility to do this.

wunderbar

there aren't any good ones unfortunately, Fairplay is a very flexable DRM(as DRM goes), but still very difficult to crack. Your best bet is to just try your luck with google, look for "FairPlay drm strippers"

IHasABucket

If you have some spare time and not a lot of songs, you can just burn them to a CD, and then rip them back off as MP3's.

There are some utilities as well, I've got to do this myself one of these days, let's see if I can't find a link...

Gafoto

IHasABucket wrote: »

If you have some spare time and not a lot of songs, you can just burn them to a CD, and then rip them back off as MP3's.

There are some utilities as well, I've got to do this myself one of these days, let's see if I can't find a link...

I think it would be easier (and still technically legal for you) to just download a copy of the files you already have from somewhere. It would also allow you to keep a high quality version. Burning to a CD and ripping is going to cost you quality-wise.

Assuming there's no other way of course.

Advent

Yes, it will lower the quality. On the other hand, there is no other way to move songs downloaded from the itunes store to another media player.

Download a copy of the files I already have from somewhere... and pay another 75 for them... I'm not going to do that if I can help it.

Gafoto

By download I mean, get them from another source other than a music store (rapidshare, torrenting, what have you).

You already own the songs, it's not like you're stealing anything. You're completely entitled to have multiple copies of a song for your own personal use.

Crashtard

I used a program called Noteburner to do it, and it went pretty well for the most part. I did discover that it worked best doing it one cd at a time so that it's easier to keep track of the files it rips.

Ramius

We don't actually allow you to ask for illegal utilities in this forum, sorry.

The only legal way I know of to convert an iTunes library to an mp3 library is to burn the songs to CD and then rip the CD to mp3.

Advent

Okies. I'll have to do that then.

Most of the utillities I've seen work on the principal of burning a fake cd, then ripping it back to disc as an mp3.

I'm still not sure what the difference is, besides a few bucks in cd-rs.

Ramius

DRM is a complicated way of trying to charge people to use what you once charged people to own. I understand that it doesn't jive well with common sense, and so you start to get the feeling that since you are in possession of the files which contain the audio, that you own the actual recording and should be free to do whatever you want with it, but thanks to DRM you are actually only permitted to do certain things with it.

All that being said, there do exist utilities which allow you to take more control over your media than what the DRM rules permit you. And there really isn't any good reason to expect any sort of retribution for using these utilities. You just can't ask about them here.

Advent

Okies. Sorry!